The Shooting Star That Destroyed Us All
by DyingInYourArms
Summary: Young witches are mysteriously being brutally murdered in a ritual no one knows about, as the mystery of the ritual slowly unravels it could be the whole world in danger and it lies in the hands of just six teenagers...[please read and reveiw ]
1. 1: Moira

Moira Nail took a small mirror from her pocket and ran her fingers through her light, reddish-gold hair. She was very glad to see that her four green streaks – the result of an experiment for St Patrick's day, gone wrong – had finally almost grown out. She snapped the mirror shut and slipped it back into the pocket of her faded blue jeans. Glancing impatiently over at the clock she was glad to see that it was quarter to two. She was supposed to be meeting Ian in fifteen minutes.

"Mum, that's me off ok?" she shouted upstairs.

"Be back in time for tea at 6:30 please!" Morgan Nail her mother shouted back down.

"Will do." Moira said before jumping out the front door. She thought pleasantly of the next hour she had with Ian before they were to meet Tess and Vita for coffee. Her and Ian had been dating for just over six months now and were as happy as ever.

Things were finally settling down again and beginning to seem almost normal since they had rescued her biological father from an Island were he had been held prisoner for … years presumed dead. Hunter had progressed to having his full powers back. He and her mother had, had their long awaited hand fasting last month. She had been initiated at Yule as planned and now everything was working out nicely for everyone. Today was going to be one of those regular days that she loved spent with friends and boyfriend then back home for dinner with the family. That was the way things should always be. She spotted Ian at their usual meeting place standing with his back to her. She walked up behind him and put her hands over his eyes playfully.

"Guess who." She whispered in his ear. She felt him smile.

"Could it be the most amazing girl in the world?" He asked.

"Hmm, I seriously doubt it." She laughed, as he turned round to kiss her.

"I don't." he said as they pulled back, Moira smiled looking into his blue eyes briefly before they headed into town arms round each others waist.

"So, how are things?" Ian asked.

"Great for once, mum reckons Hunter's powers are fully back now and she's been so happy recently going about the house singing – badly – but no one really minds. She's making dinner tonight." Moira cringed at the thought of Morgan's food. Her mother had never been known for good cooking; in fact she had been known to turn simple dinner into a disaster. Hunter was so much better at it.

"One of the great things about living my own eventually is that I don't have to suffer my mum's bad cooking."

"Lucky you!" Moira said seriously. He seemed to be ok now about this mum. He had moved back into his old house after a while at Katrina's. Moira had been round quite a lot and the difference was amazing. The place had been totally cleaned out and purified long before he moved back in but now he had sorted though a lot of the stuff. It was over all a lot tidier and nicer. She didn't feel uncomfortable there anymore.

"What about you then, how are you doing with everything?"

"Hmm well things were weird at first, mum getting married again but Hunters great and I'm glad she did marry him."

"Well I'm still sorting through some of the things at the house, there's still a hell of a lot of crap about but nothing dangerous and I'm not that bothered cleaning it up, it's the first time the whole house has actually been tidy since we've lived there."

"I think it's looking loads better." He grinned.

They strolled along slowly discussing each other's lives. That was one of the great things about Ian; she felt she could talk to him so easily. She was totally comfortable with him. When they reached the high street they didn't really have much time for browsing through shops and only went onto a few before heading to Margath's Faire and headed to their usual table in the back corner of the café on the second floor. Tess and Vita were already sitting with espressos. Moira and Ian went over to order their drinks Moira having her usual latte.

"How are you two here so early?" Moira enquired.

"We came in because I needed to buy a few books downstairs and thought we would just come up because it was only fifteen minutes until you guys were going to come." said Vita.

"Ah right, did you spot the poster on the way up?" Moira asked

"No, what poster?" Tess looked interested.

"….. are having a gig on Friday." Ian said.

"Great! You going?" Tess asked, looking at Moira and Ian

"Yeah may as well, its only £3.50 to get in." Moira said

"That's good because I'm broke just now but I might be able to give my mum the old "everyone's going and I would hate to let them all down" thing, she won't mind lending me £3.50." Vita laughed. They carried on excitedly talking about the gig and then went onto Wicca. Tess was the only non-wiccan out of all of them she was a blood witch but had decided it just wasn't for her and was never initiated. Time seemed to fly as they talked and every so often ordered more coffee. Eventually Vita was the first to get up.

I need to head, mum said I was to be back for five, you all welcome to hang for a bit though." Nobody ever passed hanging out as Vita's, she joked about being broke but her mum never minded giving her money for anything. Her house was amazing and she happened to have a 43-inch TV in her room.

They walked quickly round to Vita's, which wasn't too far. In her room they all sat on her double bed leaning against the back wall. Moira cuddled into Ian playing with his untidy thick brown hair while Vita flicked through the channels.

"Your hairs getting long now." Moira commented as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"Yeah, I was going to get it cut soon but just haven't really got round to it." He wriggled self-consciously.

"Nah you shouldn't I like it like this."

"Hmm yeah it just annoys me too much though." Tess broke up with laughter.

"Listen to you two arguing about hair, you going to turn into one of those old married couples that just bicker all the time.

"Were not arguing." Moira objected, "Were just discussing it."

"Oh my gosh, you guys listen to this!" Vita whispered urgently, pointing to a new documentary on TV. Moira sat up to see what she was talking about.

"The body was identified as Tracy Wilson a fourteen year old from Youghal" The reporter said as a picture of a pretty looking girl with long wavy blond hair came onto the screen. "She had been reported missing just two days ago, the body was found two miles away from her home town covered in what seems to be ancient runes. Experts are working to translate the meaning of them but it believed to be the work of some occult group sacrifice. Police are still looking for evidence that might lead to the identity of the killers."


	2. 2: Kellyn

Kellyn Ellis crept slowly down the stairs of her house. If she managed to get out without being seen then they might not notice she was gone, she hoped. The chances of this were very slim her mother and her stepfather would probably go out later leaving her to look after Ellette her six-year-old sister. By then she would be long gone though and she would be fine until she got back later that night. Anyway it would be worth it. The front door creaked open, she froze waiting to see if anyone ahs heard. If they had she'd had it how could she explain being half way out her front door with a guitar? Luckily all she could hear was the droning of the TV in the main room. She hopped out and managed to close the door almost silently behind her. She sighed with relief as she went round the corner onto the next street. She had made it and had a whole three hours until she had to face her step-dad when she got back. Why couldn't they understand? She had to go to practice her band had a huge gig on Friday and she was not only going to be there she and the rest of the band were going to rock, they couldn't stop her. The band practices were always held at Evans house. Her and Evan had been going out for the past two months but they had been good friends for years. Her family hated him. She was told see wasn't even allowed see to him anymore when her step-dad had fallen out with Evans parents. Not that that would ever stop her. She walked quickly down the street every two or three houses there was a window boarded up. Bags of rubbish sat our side people's gates and a lot of the walls were covered in graffiti. She hated the area she lived in, her step-dad didn't bother to work though and her mum had been in and out of jobs. They couldn't afford anything better just now. She missed her old house where she had lived with her mum and dad more than ever. They had split up eight years ago and she'd only saw her dad twice a month between all his business meetings. When she reached the part of town where Evan lived there was a dramatic difference in the tidiness of everything. There were beautiful big houses with perfect gardens and perfectly cut lawns and shiny expensive cars parked in huge drives. Perfect little families with their perfect well behaved kids everyone playing happy families. It was all so fake it made her sick. She really hated walking to Evan's people came out their houses and seemed to look at her like an alien. Or at least that's how it felt even though nobody here even knew who she was and for all they knew she could live here with a fake as plastic family. She came to Evans house, it was just like all the other houses in the area, it was huge and fancy with three garages and a massive drive way, like anyone needs that much space for cars. Evans parent had let him have one of the garages to use as a recording studio for the band. They even gave him money to buy loads of great equipment. She could see Evan through the open garage door setting things up. She tucked her long paper strait black hair behind her ears, it was naturally strait and black of course, she didn't have the money to spend on things like straitener's and hair dye. It was really unusual for someone with such pale skin to have hair as dark as that but she had almost black eyes as well.

"Evan!" She waved running up the drive.

"Kellyn, you made it." He grinned going over to hug her. He was perfect height to hug she thought, just a little taller than but not too much.

"Of course I did I promised didn't I?"

"I just thought that because of your step-dad…" he trailed off.

"Yeah he told me I wasn't allowed to come of course and my mum just sits and agrees with him because she has no mind of her own anymore, so I just sneaked out, no problem." Evan sighed leading her up to the garage.

"I don't know why you didn't just move in with you dad when you had the chance. He's just round the corner from here and he works with my dad so he wouldn't mind you coming round whenever you wanted and then you wouldn't have to take any crap from Dave." Kellyn had thought about this a lot but her dad never had time for her. He was never there, she would be alone in a huge house all the time and she could never leave Ellette with Dave. She was Dave's kid of course but he disliked her as much as he disliked Kellyn and if Kellyn wasn't there…

"I've told you before I can't leave Ellette with him. I'll be ok, he doesn't bother me that much." She lied. Evan looked extremely unconvinced but didn't press it. For that Kellyn was glad, she didn't like discussing Dave, not even with Evan who she told everything to.

"Well you're the first one here." He said as she took her guitar out of the case and plugged it in. It was a really cool guitar and she loved it to pieces it was the only decent thing she owned. Her dad had bought it for her birthday. Dave always threatened to sell it but she would never let him.

"I thought I would get away before they tell me I'm looking after Ellette again I couldn't sneak out and leave her."

"I really don't like you getting in trouble all the time just to come over for band practice."

"Its important were getting really good now and we need to keep up practising and anyway it's not just band practice it's you too, I couldn't live with out seeing you." Evan looked up and grinned.

"Don't think I would survive without you either." Evan did seem to rely on her as much as she relied on him. His parents were always busy and just ignored Evan. Their way of being there was by giving him as much money as he wanted anytime her wanted. He was an only child so it was just him on his own. That's why she sneaked out as much as she could no matter how much trouble she got in for it.

"Hey you guys!" Cira ran up the drive. Cira was their drummer; Kellyn had known her he whole life.

"Hey, you're early." Evan said.

"Oh, sorry if I've interrupted anything!" Cira raised her eyebrows suggestively at both of them. "I just thought since we have a gig on Friday it would be an idea to actually get here on time." Cira was never on time for anything. She had been known to run in second before they were supposed be on stage at gigs.

"You better be this early on Friday. There's supposed to be loads of people coming to this one. We should get some money out of it too they're charging £3.50 a ticket." Kellyn said.

"Wow are we loved that much?" Cira smiled. "I might have to practice writing autographs."

"Who's going to want them?" Kellyn asked amused.

"My adoring fans of course!"

"What adoring fans are these?"

"Well I could hire a few." Cira giggled and went over to the drum kit and started practising.

"So where are your parents? Isn't it about time they came out to hear us make lots of terrible sounding noise?" Cira asked.

"We so quickly go from being amazing with adoring fans to being terrible sounding noise." Evan laughed.

"The higher you go the further you fall dear Evan, the fates apparently can change in just three seconds." Cira tried her hardest to sound serious.

"Cira, you know I believe you at least will be famous." Kellyn said as Cira eyed her suspiciously. "Famous for talking complete crap."

"Hey! I don't speak crap, it's just to advanced for your earth intelligence." Cira said trying to look superior.

"Need I say more?" Kellyn laughed.

"Ah, here's Conner we can actually get some practising done." Cira waved as Conner ran up the drive with his guitar over his back.

"Or you know we could just sit and make wide comments at each other on Friday." Kellyn said.

"But then we might get tomato's thrown at us…wow do think people would ever actually do that bring tomato's to a gig to throw them at the band?" Cira said thoughtfully.

"As usual I manage to come as were having the really intelligent conversations." Conner said sarcastically as he got his guitar out.

"What else would they be having? I don't think I've heard anything but intelligence from those two." Evan said.

"Ok enough with the wide ass comments please." Kellyn was impatient to start the practice.

"Who said we were being wide?" Conner looked up innocently. Kellyn pretended to be appalled and playfully hit him in the arm.

"Right we ready? It would be good to get some actual practice done today." Evan said.

"Yeah, sorry I'll continue to kill Conner after Friday." Kellyn looked joke threateningly at Conner.


	3. 3: Moira

Moira got in just in time at 6.30. She could smell dinner it smelt ok but there was just no telling with Morgan's cooking.

"Moira? That you?" Morgan shouted from the kitchen.

"Yeah, did you see the news earlier on?" Moira asked, her mother would be interested in it. If it really had been some sort of dark magick sacrifice, it was in one of the next towns up from where they were.

"No, I've been busy as you can see, what's happened." Morgan asked while she ran back and forward in the kitchen.

"There was a murder up in Youghal. The body was covered in runes they think it might be some sort of dark magick ritual." Morgan almost dropped the sauce she was stirring.

"Youghal? That's just an hour away from here. Have they found anything out about the ritual what it was?"

"No it said they had expert working on it, I would think they had people from the New Charter in doing research."

"I'll have to ask Hunter what's going on when he gets back."

"_We'll _have to ask Hunter, there's no reason to keep this secret from me." Morgan looked thoughtful for a moment then nodded.

"Shouldn't Hunter be getting back soon since tea's about ready?" Moira asked as she got out plates and cutlery to set the table.

"Well he said he would try it's only his first week back and there already over working him."

"That is good though, that he got back his old position?"

"Yes, it is. I just hope he can work from home most of the time, he used to be travelling all over the place." Morgan looked down as she said this. Moira knew that it had been when he was on a ferry trying to sort out work that she thought Hunter had been killed all those years ago. "I just now that I've got him back I wouldn't be comfortable with him going away again."

"I know mum." Morgan smiled. Just then Hunter came in the door.

"I'm not late am I?" Hunter asked going over to give Morgan a kiss.

"No, just in time." Morgan said serving dinner onto three plates.

"Now the question is will we be poisoned by the dinner?" Moira laughed.

"There's nothing wrong with my cooking." Morgan said defensively.

"There's nothing wrong with it when it's making pot tarts." Hunter cringed.

"There's nothing wrong with pop tarts either, it's a good nutritious start to the day." Moran smiled.

"Nutritious? We are talking about pop tarts aren't we?" Hunter said. Moira laughed as they sat down for dinner.

"Have you heard anything about that murder at work?" Moira asked.

"Yes unfortunately, they have just about everyone in the department on it."

"It's that serious?" Morgan looked worried.

"Yes it's very serious but that's about all we know so far."

"Don't you know what ritual it is? Or who might have done it?" Moira asked this wasn't sounding good if the New Charter couldn't work out what it was.

"No, nobody has a clue. We have people translating the runes on the body. It's not like anything anyone's ever seen before, we think it's a very old dark ritual but we don't know what it's for and we fear this might only be the first part of it."

"You mean there might be more murders?" Morgan asked.

"Yes, we think so, were doing all we can to find out who's doing it and stop them but so far we have nothing. We should be careful about what Moira's doing."

"What why Moira?" Morgan asked startled.

"It was a fourteen year old girl that was killed and more importantly she was a powerful blood witch." Hunter said seriously.

"It didn't say she was a witch on the News."

"It wouldn't her parents didn't know, either did she. They were a Christian family and probably don't know anything about the power their daughter had."

"So it must be a pretty powerful coven to be doing this." Morgan asked.

"Yes it would need to be to be trying something so old that the New Charter don't even have it in their files."

"What about the councils files? Don't they have information on older rituals than the New Charter?"

"Well they were reluctant to let us have them but the council let us have any books that would be of help but we've found nothing." At that moment the phone rang. Morgan got up to go get it.

"I take that I wont be allowed out as much now then?" Moira asked feeling that this was going to turn into a nightmare for her too.

"Well I don't see why you can't go out, as long as we know where you are at all times and you send either your mother or me a witch message if your going to be late." Moira groaned.

"Its better than having us scry for you isn't it." Moira nodded, she hated it when her mum scryed to find out where she was, she could be doing anything, it was a complete invasion of her privacy.

"Hunter its Daniel." Morgan said as she came through and sat back down. Hunter got up to go talk to his dad.

"Wow mum, I might have to say this was edible." Moira said as she finished the last of the food on her plate.

"What do you mean, edible? I thought it was really nice." Morgan looked hurt.

"It was great mum, I'm actually worried you're going to turn into a good cook." Morgan smiled. Hunter came back through.

"That was quick, what was that about he's still coming to visit next week isn't he?" Morgan asked.

"No he's not, he was at the airport, he was in a hurry so couldn't talk for too long."

"At the airport what's going on?" Morgan asked.

"Well you know how we were saying we have no information on the ritual that this murder is part of and can't find books on it anywhere?"

"Yes."

"Well Da's sure he's seen a book on it before, he didn't look at it for long so can't tell us much about it, it was that long ago but he knows where it is, or where it was when he saw it anyway."

"Where is it?" Morgan asked.

"Back in Canada, in Janine's library where he found that book on Rose McEwan." Moira didn't know what they were talking about.

"Who's Janine?" Both Morgan and Hunter looked uncomfortable.

"A witch I had to investigate when I was still a seeker, she used to collect people's real names."

"Oh, right." Moira said though from the expressions on both her mum and Hunter she suspected that there was more to it than that.

"What happened with her?"

"Well she seemed friendly enough," at this Morgan raised her eyebrows Hunter didn't seem to notice. "She let my father have a look in her library she was a rowenwand so she had a great collection of very interesting books, a lot of them dark magick."

"She was a dark witch then?" Moira asked curious.

"Not exactly she just had different opinions of what was dark magick and what wasn't and disagreed with a lot of the councils ideas, this was before the New Charter came about so the council were basically in charge of everything in the wiccan world."

"So what happened to her?"

"As far as I know she's still there, she doesn't like me much though, I made her burn all her lists of names of course."

"So Daniel is going over to try and get this book off her, do you think she'll just let him have it?"

"I doubt it but I'm sure if she's still there he'll manage to get it off her." Morgan got up to clear the plates Hunter followed her into the kitchen. Moira had a feeling something was missing from the story Hunter had told her. People had been doing that to her for years now. Keeping parts of the story from her, until recently didn't know Hunter even existed, she knew a sugar coated version of her mothers past and she suspected there were still parts of that she didn't know about. She was still reading through her mothers old Book of Shadows she had been jumping about when studying for her initiation and after she was initiated had stopped reading them for a while but now she had started again because every time she picked them up she found out something new and strange about her mothers past. She was seeing a whole new side of her mother that she hadn't known before. She had found out about Ciaran McEwan being her grandfather not Angus as she had always thought. There was so much she didn't know and though her mother had promised to be completely honest with her from now on, she still felt there was too much she didn't know.

She picked up the wireless phone and went up to her room to phone Ian, she wanted to tell him everything she had found out about the murder.


	4. 4: Tesrya

"Look Tesrya, I can't keep doing this for you I'm going to loose my job for this." Chris an employee at Northwich Mental Institution said as Tesrya slipped him the bag that she had been hiding her pills in for the last week.

"You have to! They check the rooms every Friday they'll find them if I hide them." Tesrya said desperately.

"Well maybe you should be taking them." Chris said, Tesrya trusted him not to tell anyone but she knew he was risking his job doing this for her; she had to get out soon.

"I've told you before they just make it worse. They don't even know what causes it so how are they supposed to give me anything to stop it." Tesrya has what people thought was some sort of unusual case of split personality disorder. It was more like possession. Tesrya knew it was magickally caused, how was a regular mental institution supposed to understand that. "Look just get rid of them, I'll try and think up some other way as soon as I can but I need you to do this for me."

"I expect you'll be wanting me to post another letter soon as well." Chris sighed. "This came this morning." He handed her letter that was addressed to Chris A Roberts. This was how she and her boyfriend Michael had been communicating for the last month. He sent letters to Chris's address but always had an A as if he had a middle name but Chris didn't have a middle name so it was like a code so Chris knew they were for Tesrya. Michael used to visit her at the institution but was banned after helping her escape twice.

"Chris you're an angel!" She grinned as Chris shook his head.

"Don't be caught with any of these either." She rolled her eyes.

"Yes I know, I know and if I do they didn't come from you. She said handing back the empty envelope with his name and address on it.

"Good because I really need this job." Chris said.

"I know I'll be careful, Chris I'm not an idiot if your fired I don't know how I'll survive in here."

"I thought the whole point was that you weren't, or are you and Michael just sending innocent love letters?" He raised his eyebrows.

"Well yes I'm leaving but still."

"You better not be expecting my help on that one the police will be investigating that and I'll defiantly loose my job then."

"No I don't your fine."

"Where are you going to go anyway? You never seem to get that far where could you actually stay?"

"I can't tell you that. That's one of the reasons I need to get out of here. Too many people know I'm here."

"What do you mean?"

"Doesn't matter, just trust me on this one before I just wanted out of here because I'm not supposed to be in here but now I'm actually in danger here. I need to leave as soon as I can and get as far away from here as possible."

"How are you in danger?"

"I can't tell you anymore than you already know, even if you believed me that would put you in danger too."

"Fair enough, I have to get to work there going to start to wonder how it takes me half an hour to clean your room and ten minutes to do everyone else's." He got up and Tesrya stuffed the letter in her pocket she would read it later when it was safe.

"Just tell them I had one of my weird turns and you had to clean up." At that moment she got a splitting pain in her head. She felt dizzy and really tired like she hadn't slept in weeks.

"Yeah, but then I'll have to explain what happened in every detail and since I haven't ever seen you have one of these things how am I supposed to know what to say. And they'll give you a full check over and probably find out you haven't been taking your meds, and then they'll; find out I've been smuggling them out for you and then I'll loose my job and that will be great." Chris said picking up his stuff to leave not looking round as he spoke. "Tesrya you ok?" Tesrya tried to answer but couldn't she needed to sleep just for a second. She had to let go of reality. She knew what that would mean but there was nothing she could do. She had no control over her body, she didn't think she was even in her body. It was like she herself was pushed right out and something else went in. She couldn't see anything it was just dark. She couldn't feel anything but a splitting headache. Though she wasn't sure how she was feeling it as she couldn't feel any other part of her body. It was strange that she could still think. When she had tried to explain what happened to doctors they never understood. It was just like she herself was in a different world for as long as it lasted which could be anything between a minute and ten minutes.

This had all started when her parents died. The Cameron family had always been in charge of the key every since it was discovered century's ago. The key itself was ancient; she didn't know what it was for exactly or much about it. She hadn't known about it until after her parents died and she automatically inherited it as their daughter. It wasn't like normal inheritances it was done automatically by the spell her ancestors had performed when they found it. Leaving it always in the care of her family. It wasn't anything solid either that she had, she could make it solid if she wanted but she knew she was never to do that. Her parents had never told her about it, they must have not expected to die that early on in life, and who would? They died in a car accident last year. After that she only had her mothers old Book of Shadows to explain anything about the key. It was supposed to be held by two people, so you had to have both of people who knew the incantation and said it in unison to make the key solid. It made it harder to get into the wrong hands. For this to work you had to have the original key holder that the key was bound to automatically and another who would also be bound to it in a ritual. This would normally be the person's muirn betha dan. But because of her parents unexpected death the proper rituals were never done. So she had it on her own, that's why she got her strange turns. Shortly after the system was thought up and put into practice by her ancestors they discovered that there was a glitch, it was too powerful for one person to be able to hold. If one person were to hold it on their own it would make them vulnerable to a strange type of possession that they thought was the actual key. How this all worked Tesrya has no idea. She knew she was in danger now though. The key was something to do with a ritual and the first signs of the ritual were the deaths of seven uninitiated blood witches. On the news the other day she had seen a report of a dead girl covered in runes. If this was what she thought it was then she was in great danger already. That's why she had to get out of here. The first thing she had done was to write to Michael. He had helped her a lot when she was in foster care before she was institutionalised. He was also a blood witch and she suspected he was he muirn betha dan. Either way he had helped her find out so much about the key and find out what it all meant. Mostly from her parents book of shadow's her mother's in particular because she was the one the key was originally bound to. She needed to read his reply to see if he had managed to find out anything more about this murder, like if the girl was a witch or not. Of course just now she could do nothing until she woke up, or was hauled back into her body again. So far she had been out a long time, longer than she ever had before.


	5. 5: Kellyn

Kellyn opened the door to her stepfather looking furious. He was a huge man, in his early fifties, over weight and bolding. Kellyn's mum was in her early forties. What she was doing with Dave, Kellyn never understood. Maybe it was best that she didn't understand. She suspected her mum was loosing it, she had always suffered from minor mental problems that the right medication made non-existent but since he dad had left she had been getting a lot worse. Dave was in charge of everything. She thought this was the most unfair thing, every month her dad sent her mother money to help look after Kellyn, it was supposed to be spent on her general needs and sending her to a good school and giving her guitar lessons. Of course Kellyn had only ever attended the public school down the road and she used to get guitar lessons for free off Conner but was now self taught after she over took Conner. Her dad never actually checked up on where the money went, he knew she went to Evans and played guitar well there because he had seen her but he thought it was the product of the expensive guitar tutor she was being sent to. Dave of course used the money. He said there was no reason for her to get a better up bringing than Ellette just because her dad had more money than him. So Kellyn had more than one reason to hate him.

"Where the hell have you been?" he balled at her. "You were supposed to be looking after Ellette while me and your mother were out! But since you weren't here we had to cancel and you mother very rarely gets out you selfish brat how hurt do you think she is?"

"She gets out every Friday and Saturday night!" Kellyn objected.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that." Kellyn saw no reason why she shouldn't as usual it was he being unreasonable and he had plenty to say but nothing to back up anything he said. He wasn't her dad either; he had nothing to with her, what gave him the right to think he could control her life? She knew better than to argue back though.

"So where the hell have you been? You never answered me you think you can just sneak out any time you like with out telling any one?" Then he spotted the guitar she had over her shoulder. "You've been to that Evan boys house? Haven't you!" He roared, the best thing was just to keep silent she thought. "Don't you fucking dare when you know your not allowed to." _And why am I not allowed_? She thought to her self, _Because you fell out with his parents and too right why would anyone in their right mind get along with a pig like you? At least mum has an excuse on that one she's lost the plot._ "That whole family just think there better than us." _And so they should, they are. _"That Evan boy is just trouble, little punk kid whose a spoilt brat." _Just keep silent_ she told herself biting her lip, she couldn't stand him talking about Evan like that. He wasn't spoilt he was the nicest guy she had ever known. Dave was just an ignorant pig and didn't know what he was talking about. "I bet he's just fucking about with you because that what people like that do, why would he want to go out with you huh?" _Keep your mouth shut Kellyn just ignore him, Evan loves you, you know he does…_ "The little fuckers just a wide ass little punk and your not seeing him."

"He's not." She whispered unable to keep her mouth shut.

"What did you say to me?"

"I said he's not. He's the nicest guy in the world not that you would know nice if it hit you in the face because your just an ignorant pig." That did it. He punched her hard in the arm knocking her to the floor.

"DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!" He roared. "I'm going to talk to your mum and make sure you never see him again and that guitar of yours is getting sold, you don't need it anymore your leaving that silly band and we need the money, there's no reason why you should have an expensive guitar like that when your family are struggling to buy food and pay the bills. It's just selfish!" She nodded using her other arm to push herself up into a sitting position. Her eyes were filling with tears. "Now me and your mum are going out, your looking after Ellette and if you sneak out I'm telling you now you'll regret it." She nodded quickly again then ran upstairs to the room her and Ellette shared. From there she heard her mum and Dave leave. Ellette was sitting on her bed looking scared. She never liked it when Dave shouted.

"Come here Elle." She said holding out her arms. Ellette came over and Kellyn lifted her onto her lap.

"Why is daddy shouting?" Kellyn sighed.

"It's ok, he was just a bit angry because I went out today and I wasn't meant to." Tears were running down her checks and she couldn't hold them back. She looked at her guitar on the bed, he was really going to sell it. "Elle hunny can you keep a secret for me?" Ellette mimed zipping up her mouth. Kellyn smiled through her tears. "I'm going to call Evan round ok? But you can't tell mummy or daddy if they ask ok? And Evans going to take my guitar but if dad asks you say you don't know ok say you didn't see anything I don't want you getting in trouble ok?" Ellette nodded.

"When Evan comes can we play fairies?" Ellette looked up hopefully.

"Of course we can." Evan had made up this game for her that she was a fairy princess and he and Kellyn were the fairy king and queen and they all lived together in a huge castle in fairy land where everything was perfect and they had servants and grand balls and Kellyn would hunt out some of her old dresses her dad got her when she was little that Dave didn't know about and let Ellette wear one of them so she could look like a princess and she had made her little wings out of metal coat hangers and an old pair of white tights. They got to play this whenever Evan came round as long as Ellette promised not to tell Dave or her mum.

"Yay!"

"But remember the special rule Elle, you can't tell anyone it's a special secret game just for us three." Ellette nodded, she was used to this and never told anyone. Kellyn lifted her carefully off her lap so not to hurt her arm, then went under her bed and pulled out the box with her dresses in.

"You pick what princess dress you want to wear while I go phone King Evan ok?" She smiled. Ellette ran over eagerly her eyes glowing. Kellyn went down and picked up the phone, she knew Dave and her mum wouldn't be back until the early hours of the morning so they would be safe for as long as Evan was allowed to stay. She called his mobile, he was so lucky to have one, she would love to have one so he could call her. As it was he never could because Dave would be the one that picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Evan it's Kellyn, do you think you could come round just now? Mum and Dave will be out all night." She sniffed still trying to hold back tears for Ellette's sake.

"Yeah of course no one will mind as long as they don't have to take time out of their busy schedule to drive me. They've been worse than usual recently some new building project." He sighed. "Anyway I'll be there by eight."

"Thanks, do you mind playing fairies with Ellette while you're here? It's just I promised her we would if she didn't tell anyone you came."

"Yeah course that's why I love coming round so much! Fairies rock." He joked. Kellyn managed to half laugh half sob.

"One more thing, I need you to take my guitar with you."

"What! Why? You love that thing."

"Dave's going to sell it tomorrow. Better you have it at yours so I can play it when I'm there and still have it for the gig than him selling it for less than it's worth."

"Yeah, I'll take it but that guy is such an asshole."

"Tell me about it."

"Anyway I'll be there as soon as I can. Love you to hell and back."

"Love you to heaven and back, that's further."

"How's it further?" He laughed.

"Because I'm living in hell."

"Well your going to be living in fairy land when I get there and its gonna rock and everything's going to be perfect." She laughed wishing it were that simple.

"Bye then."

"Bye."

She hung up. If only they really did live in fairy land, just the three of them in a huge castle, with Conner and Cira in other castles near by. Far, far away from Dave, from her mum and from everything wrong in the world.

She went back upstairs, to find Ellette in her favourite dress. She almost wished she were as young as Ellette again; everything was so simple when you were young, if you wanted to be a princess you were and nothing was ever wrong. Just like a child she wanted to close her eyes and everything would disappear and she would be Queen Kellyn of fairyland forever.

"See now you really are a princess." Ellette gave a twirl. "That's what your name means you know, Elvin Princess, I picked it."

"Like in Lord of the Rings?" Ellette asked. Kellyn had been telling her, her own shortened version of Lord of the Rings.

"Exactly, like Arowen the Elvin Princess who gave up her immortality for Aragorn."

"But then he had to go away with Frodo and the ring."

"Yes and where is she going just now?" Kellyn asked happy that Ellette was taking such an interest in it. Ellette thought.

"To the ships with the other elves?"

"Yes, to go away to the Undying Lands."

"She wont really go will she? Because if she does then she can't marry Aragorn and live happily ever after."

"You'll have to wait and see, wont you."

"Is Aragorn the Prince?" She asked.

"Sort of he is the heir to the throne which means he should be king." She suspected the whole story was a bit too complicated for Ellette but she seemed to understand it simplified really well so far. She heard a knock at the door.

"Evan." She ran down stairs leaving Ellette dancing round her room in her dress. She opened the door let Evan in quickly. She went into the living room wanting to talk to him properly before going upstairs to play with Ellette. They sat on the couch and he put his arms around her and kissed her. She kissed him back tears still in her eyes, her checks wet from crying. They pulled apart and he put one arm round her wiping away her tears with the other hand. She put her head on his shoulder.

"What happened?" he asked stroking her hair.

"He was waiting in the hall when I got in, he saw the guitar and went mad and said I wasn't ever to see you again and said he was going to sell the guitar and that I was too leave the band." She said tears silently falling down her checks. She didn't tell him about him hitting her. She never told anyone. He didn't hit her it wasn't like those stupid adverts on TV about abuse, it wasn't serious, and it didn't matter. And she couldn't tell anyone because then she would have to live with her dad and Ellette would be taken away.

"Don't worry, I'll always be here, he can't stop me and I'll keep your guitar at my house. He would never come round there, my mum would probably threaten to take him to court, I'm sure she could find plenty against him stealing you money for a start."

"Oh don't! Please don't tell your mum about that."

"Don't worry I wont I know how important it is for you to stay here but your putting yourself through hell."

"I'm not leaving Ellette."

"I know, I'm just saying. I hate you getting hurt."

"I'll be fine."

"Do you think you'll manage the gig next Friday?"

"I'll be there, mum and Dave will be out. Oh shit Ellette!" She suddenly found the flaw in her would-be brilliant plan.

"Bring her along."

"To a gig?"

"Yeah why not tell her it's a ball let her wear your dress and her fairy wings, she'll be fine."

"What about when were playing?"

"I know plenty of people mind watching her while we play."

"Yeah but she wont know them."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, she can watch her big sister on stage, and you'll be able to keep and eye on her because she'll be in the audience."

"I suppose but isn't there supposed to be a big turn out for this gig? She might get lost."

"You worry too much she wont. Anyway aren't we supposed to be in fairy land just now Queen Kellyn?" Kellyn laughed, she must be the luckiest girl in the world to have a boyfriend like Evan. Not many girls can say their boyfriends will come at all hours of the day or night to play fairies with your little sister.

"Yes of course wouldn't want to keep Princess Ellette waiting would we?" They got up and he hugged her tightly, hurting her arm.

"Ouch!"

"What?"

"It's nothing I've just…just hurt my arm." She was still wearing her coat since she came in, not wanting Ellette or him to see.

"How did you do that?" She wasn't prepared for this.

"I must have bumped it while mucking about with Ellette." She lied.

"Let me see." He gently tried to take her coat off.

"No it's fine."

"Well it's boiling in here you don't need you coat on do you?"

"I'm cold." She lied again she was cooking alive in her coat.

"You can't possibly be cold." He looked seriously concerned.

"Let me see you arm."

" I told you there's nothing wrong with it."

"There clearly is, you don't just say ouch for no reason." He said. "And now that I think about it I've been dating you for two months and I've known you for years and you always have a coat or jumper on, even in the summer."

"I must have a weird thing with temperature where I don't feel the heat." She said even though she was boiling. He couldn't know about her step-dad he would think it was serious and it's not.

"Well just take it off for a second." He gently tried to take her coat off again. She let him not sure what else to do, he had already guessed. Her arm was badly bruised, not just from this time but from before as well.

"Dave did this didn't he?" He said angrily. She nodded. Evan kicked the door it slammed shut. She jumped. She had never seen him angry before. Evan was the kind of guy that always managed to keep his cool.

"Evan you can't tell anyone."

"What!"

"You can't tell anyone or I'll have to be put into care and then I'll never see you again and Ellette will be god knows where."

"He's hitting you Kels, you expect me to just let him?"

"There's nothing you can do about it."

"Yes there is, I can tell my mum she's a lawyer she'll sort it out, I'm sure you and Ellette can be put in the same foster home."

"I don't want to be put on a foster home!"

"You can't stay here!"

"I have to Evan, please promise me you wont tell anyone."

"Why didn't you tell me before? I though we told each other everything?" He said sitting on the floor back against the couch head in his hands.

"Because I knew you would act like this." She said kneeling don beside him.

"I'm just worried about you, he's fucking hitting you how am I supposed to react?"

"Kelly?" She heard Ellette coming down the stairs.

"Promise me you wont tell." She looked at him full of despair.

"I promise, but we have to think of something, you can't live like this."

"I've thought of something. I keep my big gob shut and don't annoy him. If I'd just shut up this would never of happened, but he was talking about you and I couldn't."

"Kels, this is _not_ you fault, he's just a prick who should be locked up." She laughed.

"That would be great if he could be locked up, maybe we should lock him in the dungeons of the castle." She smiled dreamily.

"Kellyn he could be if the authorities found out what he was doing. He's hitting you and stealing your money. I'm sure that's enough to get him locked up but knowing him he's doing a lot more."

"Kelly?" Ellette came into the room. Kellyn quickly wiped her eyes and put a smile on her face. Evan looked at her cautiously then smiled as well for Ellette's sake.


End file.
